Clothespin



y 1951 F. A. BLUHM CLOTHESPIN Filed Feb. 24, 1947 INVENIOR.

Fe0 ABM/1M.

Patented May 29, 1951 attests UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE CLOTHESPIN Fred A. Bluhm, Michigan City, Ind.

Application February 24, 1947, Serial No. 730,370

2 Claims.

1 This invention relates to improvements in a clothes pin and line assembly, and particularly to an assembly in which the clothes-pins .are mounted permanently upon the clothes-line at spaced points therealong to form a unit therewith.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a novel, simple, inexpensive assembly of the character which will permit clothes to be hung easily and conveniently for drying purposes.

A further object is to provide a novel clothespin construction adapted for permanent connection with a clothes-line and including means for detachably wedging clothing thereto in a manner to increase the gripping of the device thereon as the weight of the clothing or withdrawing forces applied thereto are increased.

A further object is to provide a clothes-pin adapted to be permanently attached to a clothes line, wherein the device is formed of sheet metal providing a tapered guideway freely receiving a roller therein which is confined by retainer members forming a part of the guideway.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the'drawing:

Fig. 1 is a View illustrating the use of the assembly for the purpose of suspending clothing in position to dry the same.

' Fig.2 is an enlarged perspective view of' one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a side edge view of a clothes-pin formme; another embodiment of the invention.

4 is a side face view of the Fig. 3 form.

'Fig, 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral l0 designates a clothes-line to which are permanently connected in spaced relation a plurality of clothes-pins 12 from which articles of clothin I4 may be suspended. The articles of clothing may be supported by a single clothes-pin in the case of small clothing articles, such as hose, or by a plurality of the clothes-pins l2 in the case of larger articles.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 2 the clothes-pin I2 is formed of an elongated, flat, substantially rigid sheet of metal which is bent to part-circular form at It, preferably through an arc in excess of 180 degrees, to provide restricted neck portions l8 adjacent the bent portions l6 which serve to confine the unit to the line Ill. In the preferred form the loop 16 Will be of an inner diameter substantially conably will be rotatable about the line.

forming to the diameter of the line ill and prefer- While it is contemplated that the clothes-pins will be mounted permanently upon the line Ill and will grip the same snugly, the arrangement will preferably accommodate sliding of the clothes-pins along the length of the line. .ihe end portions of the sheet metal plate which forms the clothespin are bent outwardly at 2i! and thence converge inwardly at 22 and terminate in spaced opposed relation. The opposit side edges of each of the arms is slit at 2:1 lengthwise thereof in spaced parallel relation to the side edges to provide a pair of arms or bars 26 which extend substantially in parallel relation lengthwise of the arms and terminate along-side-the opposite edges of the restricted neck portions l3. If desired, the ends of the arms 26 may be welded or soldered to the edges of the neck portions [3. A roller or cylinder 30 of a length slightly less than the spacing between the arms 26 at the opposite edges of the clothes-pin is positioned freely with in the clothes-pin between the converging portions 22 thereof. The diameter of the roller 30 is greater than the spacing of the free ends of the clothes-pin and between the adjacent arms 26 at each edge of the clothes-pin.

In use an article of clothing [4 is inserted in an upward direction through the mouth defined by the free depending ends of the clothes-pin. The operation of inserting the clothing serves to displace the roller upwardly and laterally along one of the upwardly diverging side walls 22. The

roller is preferably formed of solid metal stock whereby it is quite heavy and, after the clothing has been inserted in proper position as illustrated in Fig. 2, the roller is free to fall by its own weight to a position wedged between the clothing, at the point where the same is pressed against one of the sides 22 of the clothes-pin, and the opposite side wall 22 of the clothes-pin. This wedging action serves to firmly and efiectively grip the clothing and to hold the same against the force of gravity acting thereon. Any condition which is encountered in use, entailing a pull upon the clothing, as by manually gripping and pulling downwardly oi the clothing, or by the action of the wind in blowing the clothing, is effectively resisted by this wedged gripping action, since the same tends to pull the roller toward the free ends of the clothes-pin and by virtue thereof to move the roller into a more tightly wedged position. The clothing is easily removed from the clothes-pin by gripping the clothing adjacent thereto and applying an upward motion to un-.

seat the roller and urge it laterally out of gripping relation to the parts, and it can be held in this position by the finger of the user until the clothing is withdrawn from the clothes-pin.

A modified embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. In this form a rectangular metal plate 40 is provided with a longitudinal central ofi-set portion or rib 42 for reinforcing purposes. The plate 40 is bent at 44 through an angle of 180 degrees, the rib 42 being positioned outwardly. One leg of the resulting U-shaped structure is bent laterally at 46 and thence inwardly at 48 to provide a terminal portion 50 which is inclined relative to the opposite leg 52 and converges toward the same at the free end of the two legs. The ends 54 of the legs preferably are bent outwardly to provide diverging lips. The portion of the device at the parts defining the inclined run 40 and the bends 48, 44 and 4B is slit longitudinally at 56 from a point at the inner portions of the lips 54 to a point extending past the central bend 44. These slits define bars 58 at each side of the device which extend at an angle to the run 50 and substantially parallel to the arm 52 with the inner end thereof forming a hook 60 substantially coinciding with the bend 44 and preferably of approximately 270 degrees curvature. The hook part 60 serves as means to embrace and secure the clothes-pin to the line I 0. A roller 62 of a length slightly less than the spacing between the bars 58 and of a, diameter greater than the minimum spacing between the lips 54 and substantially less than the spacing of the arms 50 and 52 at the bend 48 is interposed between the arms and 52, being confined therebetween by the arms 58.

The clothes-pin is secured to the clothes-line ID by clamping of the hook portion 60 therearound in the manner explained above so that the two arms 50 and 52 of the clothes-pin depend therefrom in the same manner shown in Fig. 2. It will be observed in this construction that the formation of the longitudinal rib 42 within the body of the device serves to rigidify and strengthen the same and to substantially prevent flexing of the device. Likewise, it will be observed that the fiat portions of the arms on opposite sides of the rib 42 provide surfaces upon which the roller 62 may rotate. In all other respects the operation and functioning of this em- 4,. bodiment of the invention is the same as the Fig. 2 embodiment and possesses the same advantages.

While two forms of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, it will be understood that changes may be made in the construction within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A clothespin comprising a substantially rigid plate bent into substantially U-shape to provide a pair of elongated arms, at least one of said arms being bent outwardly adjacent said first bend and thence inwardly to provide an elongated terminal portion inclined relative to the other arm, a roller between said arms of a diameter greater than the spacing of the ends of said arms and less than the maximum spacing of said arms, and a pair of longitudinal retainer bars at opposite edges of said bent arm and inclined longitudinally thereof for confining said roller between said arms, said retainer bars being bent at one end concentrically of said first bend in an are greater than l degrees to embrace a rope.

2. In combination, a substantially rigid U- shaped member adapted to depend from a clothesline and having opposed downwardly converging arms, at least the major portion of the inner face of each arm being fiat, a roller shiftable between said arms from a lower wedged position to an upper free position, the lower ends of said arms being spaced apart, and elongated bars projecting from the opposite sides of the lower end of at least one arm in upwardly diverging relation to confine said roller between said arms, the upper ends of said bars being bent to embrace said line.

FRED A. BLUHM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 205,720 Blossom July 9, 1878 331,088 Sackett Nov. 24, 1885 443,602 Richards Dec. 30, 1890 1,180,698 Coupland Apr. 25, 1916 1,235,600 Reimer Aug. 7, 1917 1,298,643 Baumel Apr. 1, 1919 

